A Cord of Three Strands
by Queenafoster
Summary: Daniel, Evan, and Ford in a mess of trouble
1. Chapter 1

A Cord of Three Strands

For once, he didn't have no dog in this fight. Which was all well and good but he was in the middle of it just the same. And wanting to be somewhere else…_anywhere_ else.

The two dogs were Daniel and Ford, and Evan was stuck between both literally and figuratively. In the middle age-wise and in the middle of their argument. Not by his own choice, but there just the same.

He got along great with both of 'em most of the time. He'd even go so far as to say they were his best friends as well as his brothers. And they _usually_ got along pretty well, too. But Ford occasionally got his shorts in a twist about Daniel, and Daniel wasn't always real good about blowing it off. Evan had tried to bridge the gap. He'd talked to Ford and then tried to explain to Daniel that Ford was mostly just feeling his oats and testing boundaries—and that it was way safer to do that with Daniel than their older brothers. But Daniel still sometimes let Ford get to him and reacted anyway. And since Evan wasn't real famous for holding his own temper, he didn't figure he could fault him for that really.

But right now, he was _not_ happy about being out here with them. The family had been scouting the herd in the lower grazing for nearly a week and going back to the house at night. Adam, Brian, Crane, and Daniel came out every morning, and Evan, Ford, and sometimes Guthrie joined them when they got home from school. But now it was the weekend, and Adam had decided he wanted to finish up before Monday. So they'd brought the camping equipment, Hannah and Guthrie had joined them, and they'd all come out Friday morning for a long weekend to get it done. Best reason in the world to skip school in Evan's opinion.

But Daniel and Ford had been knocking heads off and on all week about nothing real important as far as Evan could tell. Sniping at each other without the usual tease and that generally led to a real argument eventually. Their older brothers were tired of refereeing, and Adam decided it was time for them to work it out. So he'd sent them out on circle—_together_. Which would make them work it out—_together_. And hopefully, they'd get past the problem—_together_. Unfortunately, Evan was sent with them. He had no idea what Adam was thinking since Evan was more likely to knock 'em into next week just to get 'em shut up. Which would mean they'd probably make up so they could be mad at Evan—_together_. Then again, if they finally quit arguing, Evan might be willing to risk it.

He glanced over to where they were on foot trying to get a cow out of some thick bushes. Angry comments rang across the distance. Evan shook his head in frustration and rode in the opposite direction as their argument continued.

**SB4SB**

Daniel pushed against the cow's backside, fed up with Ford and his smart-aleck mouth. "Would you just pull?!"

"I _am_ pulling!"

"Yeah, well, you can't prove it by me! _Move, cow!"_

"You know, you could try putting a little weight into this!"

"_Ford!_ Just—" The ornery animal finally decided to cooperate and squirted forward causing Daniel to fall flat. Ford started laughing as he danced out of the cow's path. Daniel picked himself up and brushed the dead leaves off his shirt. "Pretty funny, huh?"

"No, of course not." But Ford's amusement could not be hidden. "Here, let me—" He reached to help.

"Just leave me alone, Ford. Just _leave_ me alone.

Daniel started to walk away when he felt a deep rumble. His eyes flew to Ford as the ground started jumping under their feet. Daniel glanced around quickly. Where was Evan?! As he turned back to Ford, the ground disappeared, and he was suddenly falling, tumbling head over heels. He couldn't tell if the jolting was from the earthquake or the collapse, but he felt every rock and tree and bush as he fell. And then—

**SB4SB**

A sound woke him. He took a deep breath and coughed as dust entered his lungs. Another groan and he realized vaguely that he was making the noise. Ford opened his eyes and found himself face down in a pile of rocks and dirt. He tried to figure what happened as he stretched fingers and feet to see what was working and what wasn't. A sharp pain in his left ankle, but otherwise it seemed to be just soreness—everywhere—from the...

The fall. The earth had dropped right out from under him and Daniel when the quake hit. Daniel! They'd been not five feet apart. They'd fallen together—Ford had seen him go down! Where was he?

"Daniel?" He coughed again to clear his throat. "Daniel?!" Ford pushed up to hands and knees, feeling a layer of dirt and small stones slide off. "_Daniel?!_" He looked around and then up toward the sky. He was about twenty feet below the surface. Evan? He'd been riding in another direction as Ford and Daniel worked the cow. How big was the cave in? Had Evan fallen, too? Just as he was about to call out, he heard Evan from above, sounding frantic.

"Daniel?! Ford?! Can you hear me?!"

"Evan!"

"Ford, you okay?!" Evan appeared above him.

"Pretty much. I don't know where Daniel is."

There was a pause then, "Can you move?"

"Trying that right now; hang on." Ford walked his hands forward and pulled his legs out of the rubble. The ankle was throbbing, but he resolved not to think about it. He needed to find Daniel. Once Ford was loose from the rubble, he called out again, "I'm free. I'll see if I can find him."

"I'll go this way."

Ford took a careful survey of the craggy ravine, trying to puzzle out the shadows in the narrow rays of sunlight. The crevice seemed huge, disappearing in both directions but maybe fifteen feet wide at this point. The huge debris piles contained dirt, rocks, trees, bushes, and even big boulders. Crawling over and around the mess, Ford knew he'd been lucky and prayed that Daniel was alive. God, please, let him be alive! The recent arguments weighed heavily on Ford, and he needed to apologize. But they had to find him first. Then…there he was, maybe ten or fifteen feet away. "Evan! I see him!"

Hearing a faint reply, Ford scrambled closer, trying to be careful of his bad ankle. Every now and then, it banged on something, and he bit back more than one curse.

"Daniel?" All he could see was head, shoulders, and chest. The rest lay buried in a big pile of dirt and rocks. Fortunately, Daniel's head and chest were partially protected by a small ledge in the rocky wall above, and that may well have saved him. Shallow breaths rose and fell and when Ford checked Daniel's pulse, it was steady and even, if a bit slow. Thank God! There was a small cut along his left brow that hadn't bled very much. "Daniel?"

"Ford?" Evan called down again, his voice a lot closer and more concerned.

"Here. He's out cold. Ya see me?" He waved an arm.

"Yeah."

"Toss me a canteen, will ya?"

"Be right back."

Ford flipped a couple of rocks from Daniel's side to assess his chest. His respirations remained shallow, and Ford worried there might be busted ribs. Dirt covered his brother from just above the waist, but Ford was able to squeeze the rib cage. A sudden intake of breath and a pronounced flinch resulted. The ribs were at least bruised and maybe broken. "Daniel?"

Evan called out from above, "Ford, I've got the canteen and a rope. Wave for me again; it's hard to see you in the shadows."

Ford threw up an arm, and the canteen landed surprisingly close. He pushed to his knees and bridged the five feet or so to where it landed. "Got it." When he turned back, Daniel was awake, confusion on his face.

"Hey." Daniel sounded puny.

Ford grinned in overwhelmed relief. "Hey, yourself. Welcome back."

"Thanks." Daniel eyed the steep walls. "Earthquake?"

"Yep. How ya feeling? You've been out for a while."

His eyes seemed to focus internally for a second. "Not bad. You?"

Ford decided not to mention his ankle to Daniel either. They had bigger problems. "All right."

Daniel's eyes roved over the walls. "I bet this was a cave or an old mine, and the quake caused the tunnels to fall in."

"We need to get you dug out—you're half buried. And I think you might have some cracked ribs. Evan?"

"Yeah?"

"He's awake, but he's stuck; we're gonna need something to dig him out."

A pause then, "I got an ax on my saddle. I'll get it and come down. I've already got the rope tied—"

Daniel called out, a little breathless. "No! Evan, go for help; find the guys. I'm okay here."

Another pause from above, "But—"

Another rumble…an aftershock! Ford threw himself across Daniel's head and shoulders and wrapped his arms around his own head, trying to protect them both from more falling debris. The roaring and shaking seemed to go forever. When it finally faded, Ford tried to take stock again. Feeling Daniel squirm, he pushed up.

"Daniel? Ya okay?"

His brother coughed and shook his head free of the cobwebs. "Yeah. You?"

"Yeah." He glanced around to check if the walls seemed any more or less stable, but he couldn't see much difference—just more rubble as far as he could tell. Then he remembered they'd been talking to Evan when the aftershock hit. Their brother _should_ be calling down to check on them—except he wasn't. He glanced at Daniel and then back up to the rim. "Evan?"

They waited for a response. Daniel's eyes showed worry, and Ford called out again. "_Evan!_"

Ford glanced around but didn't see or hear any sign of their brother. Had he fallen in or had something happened up top? Ford was worried and turned back to Daniel, wanting reassurance that Evan was all right.

Daniel lay with his eyes closed. "Ford, we're in big trouble here. You need to find Evan." Quiet, intense.

Ford blinked. "We get you out, we can both look. We'll find him faster that way."

Daniel flinched. "I can't— I can't feel my legs."

Ford's heart flip-flopped. No. No way. Daniel might be—! _No!_ Ford bit off that thought before he could finish thinking it. No, Daniel was…_stuck_, and Evan was missing! But Daniel wasn't panicking, and he didn't need a scared kid brother freaking out on him. Ford took a deep breath to try and slow his racing heart. Just keep it together, kid. "Okay. Okay, let's think about this. It could just be pressure on your back and legs. The weight. It isn't for certain—" Stop! If he didn't say it, maybe it wouldn't be true. "We'll just dig ya out, and it'll be fine. I _know_ it will."

Daniel winced slightly but kept control of his voice. "Ford, listen to me! You _need_ to find Evan. I'm sure more of the surface collapsed in that aftershock, and he was _right there_ talking to us! He might've fallen in and be hurt bad—_worse_ than me. Ya have to find him. Now!"

Ford felt torn, but Daniel was right. He was at least stable, but they had no idea where Evan even was. Ford's first aid studies kicked in, reminding him they needed to prevent dehydration and shock. Ford finally nodded and opened the canteen before lifting Daniel's head to give him a long drink. Daniel nodded and pulled his head back. Ford took a long swallow before tightening the cap again. "Okay. I'll find him; you wait here."

Daniel breathed a small laugh. "Yeah."

Ford's lips twitched at the dark humor, and then he twisted around to hands and knees. He squinted through the gloom and took the path of least resistance. "Evan!"


	2. Chapter 2

Daniel watched as Ford moved away with a gimpy kind of crawl. Hands and knees most of the time, but the left foot kind of hung back. Ford was being careful with it. If it was injured, then Daniel would have to figure that into their next move. Just like Ford to hold back that he was hurt. But first...find Evan. Then figure a way to get out of this mess.

Fear crawled up the back of his throat. He couldn't feel anything below the waist, and the thought of being…_paralyzed_…terrified him. He'd never thought about being unable to walk, and he didn't want to think about it now. Of course, when he woke up, his first thought was of his brothers…making sure they were okay. Then he realized he couldn't move—and that he couldn't feel anything either. But by then, his protective instincts had kicked in, and first priority was Ford and Evan. And knowing them, if they found out Daniel couldn't feel anything, they would try to rescue him first. So he decided to send Evan for help and keep Ford in the dark; their older brothers would know what to do. But the aftershock scrapped that plan; they'd lost Evan and finding him became more important. Daniel had other problems that needed figuring out…but the numbness in his legs kept intruding. His head hurt—but not too bad. And his ribs hurt—kinda like he'd been kicked, but it was manageable.

He shook his head slightly. Right now, he was responsible for two younger brothers, and he needed to pull himself together. First, Ford _would_ find Evan. Then they could dig Daniel out. Hopefully, what Ford said was true, and feeling would return. If not... He shook off that _other_ idea. They would dig Daniel out and go from there like Ford said. His little brother knew his first aid better than just about anybody—maybe even better than Crane. Daniel decided he would just follow Ford's instructions about his legs. In the meantime, he'd get started on digging himself free as Ford looked for Evan.

Daniel surveyed the three foot pile of debris covering his legs. There were at least half a dozen big rocks, a bunch of smaller ones, and who knew how much dirt. Just dumb luck he wasn't completely buried. And that those rocks had missed his head. Guess in the big scheme of things, he had a lot to be thankful for. At least he and Ford were alive. And…Evan was, too. Daniel reached down and started tugging on the nearest rock.

"Daniel? Ya all right?" Ford sounded far away, but sound waves did funny things underground. He could be over the first pile or fifty feet away, and Daniel wouldn't know the difference.

"Yeah. Any sign of him?"

There was a pause then, "Not yet. There's a lot of debris." He sounded grim.

"Keep looking. You'll find him." Daniel forced optimism into his voice. He couldn't let Ford give in to hopelessness.

Daniel kept working on the dang rock, trying to get it off. He wasn't sure how much time passed before it finally shifted to one side. Stupid thing must weigh thirty or forty pounds, and he didn't have much leverage flat on his back. He let his head fall and took breaths as deep as he could manage. His ribs were seriously protesting. He shivered as he drew a sleeve across his forehead to wipe the perspiration. He'd worked up a sweat trying to get the rock moved, but it had to be ten degrees cooler than on the surface. And his jacket had been slung across the back of his saddle. Belatedly, he hoped his and Ford's horses weren't caught up in the cave-in.

"Hey."

Daniel saw Ford crawling back and wondered how much time had passed. "Anything?"

His brother looked discouraged. "No. But you need more water. Can't let ya get dehydrated."

"You, too."

Ford eyed him briefly. "Yeah." He helped Daniel with the canteen and then took a swallow himself.

Daniel looked him over and decided not to address his mood. The way things had been this week, Ford would probably just get mad, and that wouldn't help anything. Instead, "What's wrong with your foot?"

"Nothing."

Daniel offered a small grin. "My eyes work just fine."

Ford looked away at being caught. "Sprained, I guess."

"Broken?"

He sighed, "Maybe. We got too many other problems right now to worry about my ankle."

"We need to get your boot off before it swells so bad we have to cut the leather. You know better, Mister I'm-gonna-be-a-paramedic." Daniel tried hard to put a tease into his voice.

Ford summoned a half grin. "I didn't want to worry you. I'm gonna need help with it." He scooted back to allow Daniel to grab the boot while he got ready to pull his foot out. A determined look and a few deep breaths, then a grunt that turned into a yell tore out of his mouth as he pulled free. Daniel winced in sympathy. Ford lay on his side, breathing like a steam engine, half-formed cuss words under his breath.

Daniel gave him a minute. "Okay?"

"Mm-hmm." Clearly, not yet. Another minute or two passed before his breathing slowed. Ford finally sat up. "Okay." He looked pale with faint tear tracks under the layer of dirt. A couple more deep breaths then, "How ya doing, big brother?" His voice shaky and high pitched.

Daniel couldn't help the pride, and a smile broke through. "Still here."

Ford took another deep breath while managing a small grin. "Didn't figure you'd run off and leave me."

Daniel chuckled. That'd be a good trick right now. "I got one of the rocks pushed off." Maybe that would improve his brother's spirits.

Ford broke into a real smile and eased up on both knees to start on another one. Probably trying to concentrate on anything but his foot. "Did it help any? With...you know?"

Daniel managed a half shrug, but that made his ribs hurt, too. "No."

Ford grunted trying to move one of the bigger rocks. Daniel leaned forward as much as possible and tried to help. Geez, these things were heavy! Daniel put everything he had into the effort, and Ford still had to change position a couple of times. Blackness pushed the edges of Daniel's vision, and he couldn't catch his breath. Forgetting the rock, he dropped his head back and tried to control his breathing, but his chest was screaming and his breath short. He held his ribs together with both arms as he tried to stay conscious and breathe.

"Daniel? Take some water! Daniel! Come on, don't pass out on me! Don't leave me! I need you, big brother!"

Far away, Daniel could hear the fear in Ford's voice as his head was lifted. Water slid down his parched throat, reviving him a little, and Daniel nodded that he was done. "I'm okay." A couple breaths, "Ford?" No answer. "Ya all right?"

Daniel cracked his eyes and watched as Ford tried to blink away tears. His younger brother bit his lips together and finally nodded vigorously as he looked away.

"Come here, buddy." Daniel pulled Ford down into a hug, and his brother came willingly, burying his face in Daniel's shoulder. Daniel held on as Ford tried to regain control. Evan had told Daniel that Ford was a rock when they were stuck in the Howling Man…but he'd had a capable older brother with him then. The two of them had been able to share the burdens. Plus, he'd known that Daniel was outside and would get help. Now, they were stuck in this hole, Evan was missing, Daniel was half buried and couldn't feel anything, and their brothers had no idea where they were. Daniel could see that might overwhelm a sixteen year old who was used to having older brothers monitor and back him on almost every move.

Daniel felt completely helpless; he couldn't do _anything_. Big brothers were supposed to fix things, and he desperately wished Adam was here if only to banish Ford's fears. If there was anything in the world Adam was best at, it was making his brothers feel safe. Daniel knew he was a pathetic substitute, but he'd sure give it his best shot. He rubbed Ford's back. "It's gonna be okay. We'll get out of this."

A muffled voice, "How?"

Daniel breathed a short laugh. "I don't know yet, but we'll think of something. We always do. You're smart, and I'm reckless; we're bound to come up with something between us."

A quick nod and a shaky breath that might have been a laugh—or a sob—but Daniel heard no other comments. They lay that way for a few minutes, and Daniel started humming John Denver. In a few seconds, Ford turned his head so it tucked under Daniel's chin, and his tenor joined in. Ford took lead, and Daniel harmonized. The song lyrics seemed appropriate; he sure wished they were going home.

_Country roads, take me home  
To the place I belong.  
West Virginia, Mountain Mama,  
Take me home, country roads._

Daniel remembered when Ford had sung that very song with Daniel's band last year...how proud he was of Ford for beating his stage fright and showing the whole town what a great voice he had. And how an agent had immediately approached him—_just Ford_—with a job offer. Which made Daniel envious but led to one of the funniest events Daniel had ever seen: Ford dressed up like a chicken singing about eggs. _In falsetto_. Daniel had to bite his lip to keep from laughing even now. "You were a great chicken, Eggman."

Ford's laugh was real this time and literally burst out of him. "Donna Jo James and the Poultry Producers of America—my big break in showbiz. You're just jealous."

Daniel rubbed Ford's back. "Yeah, that must be what my problem is." The laughter felt good, but he took a deep breath, remembering the mess they were in. Evan was still missing, and that sobered him up pretty quick. "Come on, buddy. We need to get back to work. You gotta find Evan."

Ford took a deep breath and pushed himself up. "I'm sorry...for the fights. I don't know what's wrong with me—why I get so angry with you."

Daniel shook his head slightly. "You're just growing up. That's part of it anyway. I _know_ it, but even then, I sometimes can't help but answer back. I did it with Brian a few years ago. And remember Evan and Adam during the Junior Rodeo?"

Ford managed a half grin. "Adam got angry, too. So I guess it's okay if you get mad back at me, huh?"

Daniel smiled. "Yeah, I guess. But I'm sorry, too. No hard feelings, right?"

"Right." He took a deep breath and glanced along the ravine. "I'll find him."

"Get to it. And be careful. The walls and debris might not be stable. Watch yourself. And that ankle."

Ford nodded and grasped Daniel's hand. Daniel squeezed in encouragement and lifted his chin to get him moving. Then Ford was crawling off again, still favoring the foot.

Daniel watched him go and breathed a prayer for all of them. He looked back at the debris covering him and took as deep a breath as he could manage before starting again.


	3. Chapter 3

Evan came awake slowly, smelling grass. Dirt and grass. His head and back hurt—a lot. Actually, pretty much everything hurt. Something heavy held him down. He tried to take a deep breath, but the pressure on his back made that hard. Leaves everywhere. And branches. He carefully turned his head to find the problem. About twenty feet away lay the trunk of a massive oak tree.

Then he remembered. He was talking to Daniel and Ford when the aftershock hit. He'd run from the edge of the ravine—he couldn't help his brothers if he fell in, too. Then he heard roots ripping out of the ground and glanced up to see the huge tree falling his way. The trunk apparently had missed him, but he'd been clobbered by the branches. Stupid tree. He had to get out from under this mess and back to the guys. They might've been hurt worse in the aftershock.

A thick limb across his back seemed to be keeping him pinned. Unable to push himself up, he pulled in his elbows to try and inch forward. The cobweb of branches and leaves made any movement difficult, but he slowly began to squirm out from under the thick limb. It seemed like forever, but he finally managed to wriggle and twist out from under the heavy branch—for once his size and flexibility an advantage. Sitting up, his head started throbbing, the world spinning, and his stomach churning. He tried to hold back but finally ended up puking. A couple or three times emptied him out, and he just wanted to get away from the mess. He started crawling and picking his way out. After what felt like a decade or two, he finally got free of the tree prison. Breathing deep to combat the nausea and headache, he looked at the tree. Had to be sixty feet tall. Doggone it.

"Ow." A bunch of other aches and pains jumped on the bandwagon now that he had a chance to feel them. The world finally stopped tilting, so he stood up. He stretched his spine, neck, and shoulders, trying to work out the kinks and soreness, but something must've been strained or pulled when the tree fell. Whatever the problem, his back sure was hurting. But he needed to get to the ravine and get his brothers out. No telling how long he'd been under that tree. He just prayed they weren't hurt worse in the aftershock.

On his way back, he remembered that Daniel had wanted him to go find their brothers. Well, that wasn't gonna happen. Daniel and Ford weren't staying down in that hole any longer than necessary. More aftershocks could occur, and Evan wasn't about to let them to get buried. And with occasional dizziness, he didn't think he ought to get on Diablo right now anyway. So he side-tracked to his horse and unshipped his rifle. He checked the load and fingered off the safety before firing three rounds. Anyone in hearing distance would know which way to head. Hopefully, one of their older brothers would come on the run. Evan exchanged his rifle for the ax from his saddle. Daniel had also had an ax on his horse but Evan wasn't sure where Buck had run off to. Then he heard Ford calling for help and breathed a sigh of relief that at least his younger brother was okay. He moved back to the lip of the crevice. The line he'd tied off before the aftershock was still there. He picked up the discarded rope and dropped it into the ravine. He was going down no matter what Daniel said—his older brother just wasn't thinking straight.

He took a deep breath to settle the planet and control his voice. "It's me." Ford was okay, but Evan hadn't heard anything from Daniel yet and prayed he was all right, too.

"Evan! Ya okay?" Below, Ford's voice was pretty close and sounded relieved.

"Mostly. You guys?"

"Yeah. When you didn't answer, we thought you'd fallen in and been buried. I been looking all over for you! Where ya been?!" Now he sounded ticked off.

Evan swallowed the bile climbing up his throat again. "Would you believe a tree fell on me?"

"You're kidding? A tree?" Daniel's voice. Thank God. He was out of sight to the left of where Evan knelt.

He glanced back at the oak. "Wish I was. Took me a while to get out from under. Sorry I was so long getting back."

Then Ford laughed, and it sounded kinda brittle. Ford must be pretty scared 'cause it actually took a lot to rattle him. Evan wondered briefly if something else was going on as Ford answered, "Only you, Evan. Only you."

"Yeah, I know—don't rub it in. At least I stayed on solid ground."

Daniel answered again. "Evan, you need to go for help—find the guys."

"I knew you were gonna say that, Daniel; that was me fired the rifle. The guys knew what direction we were coming. If they're searching for us, they heard the shots; but I'm not leaving you two."

"Evan, you have to—"

"Hey, I'm up _here_; I don't _have_ to do anything." Deep breath. "Ford, ya see the rope? Head back to Daniel so I don't whack you with the ax handle on my way down. Let's get you guys outta there."

Daniel sounded more forceful this time. "Evan, _listen_ to me—"

"I'm not arguing, Daniel. Where are ya, Ford?"

"Going back toward Daniel—nowhere near the rope." Ford's voice sounded lighter. Maybe laughing at his brothers and their...disagreement. Evan was glad to provide him with something else to think about other than being stuck in a hole. Daniel continued to protest, but Evan ignored him.

"I'm coming down." Evan slid the ax handle through one of his belt loops then turned around and carefully worked his way down the wall. When he reached bottom, he turned in the gloom, flexing his back to release some of the tightness and discomfort. He swallowed hard again—no more upchucking. "Where are you guys?"

"Over here about twenty feet. Watch yourself."

It may have been only twenty feet, but it took a while to get there over and around the debris. Evan finally crawled, scooted, slipped, and slithered over the piles and found his brothers. Ford sat with Daniel's head in his lap. The rest of their brother disappeared under a _big_ pile of dirt, rocks, and brush. No wonder they needed help. "Hey."

Ford's smile was relieved. "Hey."

Daniel grinned reluctantly and shook his head a little. "Ya should've gone for help." Despite what he said, Evan could read his brother like a book—Daniel was glad to see him.

Evan bounced his brows in tease. "Most of the time when I do what ya tell me, it's only because I happen to agree with you. You know that, right?"

Daniel's expression promised retribution. "Don't give Ford any ideas; he's still impressionable."

Ford grinned down. "Getting less impressionable by the second."

Evan smiled at the gentle bickering—no anger now. Finally. "Well, before I do any more damage to his impressions, let's get you out of that mess."

Ford cleared his throat. "Evan, Daniel might have some broken ribs. And he can't feel his legs." Very matter-of-fact.

"What?!" Evan stared at Ford but saw no signs of a joke. A hard look at Daniel told Evan that Ford was serious. Geez, Daniel might be… "You're just now telling me this?!" Evan's own ribs protested when he took a couple of deep breaths to control his fear and anger. "We gotta get you out of there!" Why hadn't they told him?! No wonder Ford was scared! Doggone it! And Daniel wanted him to go for help first?! What was he thinking?!

"And Ford has a sprained ankle. At least. Might be broken."

Evan stared at the two of them as they shared pointed, 'That's-what-you-get-for-telling-on-me,' stares. And…smiles? Their voices were calm—not angry, not accusing—just every day, run-of-the-mill remarks. What the heck was going on with them?! Whatever it was, Evan was really tired of their issues with each other. And the fact that they were both acting like stupid kids. _And that he was in the middle of it! _He took another deep breath to _attempt_ control of his temper.

Okay. Okay. Don't focus on the fact that his brothers had withheld _really important_ information; that would only lead to more arguments. And they didn't have time to waste with Daniel…_like this!_ Instead, Evan decided to take out his frustration with _them_ on the pile of debris. Concentrate on what he could fix. Determined, he pointedly ignored his brothers as he surveyed the pile, trying to decide the best site of attack. Pain sliced behind his eyes, and he shut them briefly to allow it to pass. He rubbed his neck and rolled his shoulders to loosen his back a bit more. The trip through the ravine hadn't helped, but he had to get Daniel out from under the debris. His back was a little warped right now—no big deal. Daniel couldn't feel his legs—_Huge Deal!_

Finally, he picked a spot and swung the ax. As his back stretched out, he couldn't help a small grunt. The blade caught in the debris and, he started pulling on it, trying to loosen the junk. Things shifted a bit, and he pulled the ax loose for another swing. He kept working, continuing the same motions for a while till the ax wedged in tight. He pulled and felt no give. Tried again with a little more force, but the ax held secure and solid. If he could get this area to shift, it might go a long way to loosening a lot of the pile. He put his weight into it and leaned back. He strained with effort, his ribs and back yelling at him, and the pile finally let go with a jerk. His back hit the wall of the ravine, and another grunt burst out of him as he was showered with dirt from above.

"Evan!"

"Ya okay?"

Evan sputtered and coughed, trying to wipe his eyes and nose clean with his free hand. After clearing his throat for the third or fourth time, he croaked an answer. "Yeah. Whew." As he started back to check the pile of debris, his back spasmed, and he bit his lip.

"Ya all right?"

"Did ya hurt your back?"

Evan tried to shrug it off and stretched carefully. "Pulled a muscle or something. It's okay." He swallowed the hot, bitter acid again and eased back over to survey the pile. It had shifted quite a bit with that last effort. "Now we're getting somewhere." He dropped to his knees to move some of the rock. Ford slipped out from under Daniel and came to help. Together, they were able to shift the largest of the rocks away by either pushing or pulling or both. Ford was careful of his left ankle, and Evan ignored his head, back, and ribs.

When the worst of the rocks were finally gone, they turned to the remaining debris. Being careful, they began removing the last layers. Daniel helped some, digging out what had settled around his waist and hips.

Evan and Ford made good progress till they found another rock that had been buried. As the two of them focused on it, the dirt suddenly shifted. Evan thought it might be the start of another aftershock. Ford yelped and started to jump on Daniel when Evan realized that it was just the earth under their hands. Daniel was pulling himself free! "Careful."

At the same time, Ford yelled angrily, _"Daniel!"_

Evan flashed to Ford, but then Daniel started to grunt and groan. "Holy cra—! Geez, this hurts!"

Evan didn't know what to think, but Ford was furious! "I hope it hurts! It's supposed to by the way! Instead of just your foot or your butt going to sleep, it was basically your whole body! But you _shouldn't have moved, Daniel!_ When there's a possible spinal cord injury, you wait till the back can be aligned and immobilized! You get strapped to a back board to make sure it's stable, and then _we_ _move_ _you!_ Moving without stabilization can cause permanent damage where it was only temporary before! _Idiot!_"

"_A backboard?! _ Where're we gonna get one of those? Aaahh! Geez! Ford, I've been stuck under this stuff for hours, and I _needed_ to move! Don't ya think I would know—"

"No, I _don't_ think you would! You've been completely numb, Daniel! How _exactly_ would you know?!"

"My whole body is screaming; do you have to yell at me now?! Aaahh! Crap!"

Worried about his brother's agonizing pain, Evan slid Daniel into his lap. "Where's it hurt?"

"_Everywhere!_" Gritted teeth and a bone deep groan.

Ford grabbed Daniel's hand. "But you feel it! Daniel! _You feel it!"_

Daniel took a second and tried to control his breathing, and then he nodded while biting his lips together. His eyes were moist with unshed tears, but he managed a small grin. "Yeah. I feel it! I _big time_ feel it!" Another groan as the smile disappeared in a grimace.

"That's the blood flowing again. The pressure on your legs kept it just barely moving before. The whole lower half of your body is waking up." Ford's eyes were wet, too, but his smile was a mile wide. "I know it hurts, but you can get through this. You're gonna be okay!"

Daniel eyed Ford and nodded tightly. "We've made it this far together, right?"

Evan's gaze slid between them, confused. Ford didn't seem overly worried about Daniel's pain, so maybe it wasn't something Evan should have kittens over. And he got the idea this argument/love fest between Daniel and Ford had been going on since they'd been stuck down here.

Evan wrapped Daniel in a gentle hug, absolutely thrilled and beyond relieved that he had regained feeling in his legs. But they sure weren't out of trouble yet. Evan thought for a moment about what their older brothers might do next. "Okay. Okay. One problem solved, but we still gotta get you two outta this hole. I'll climb out and move the rope over here. And I'll rig up some way to haul ya out and send down the rappelling harness. Okay?"

Ford and Daniel shared a glance and began protesting simultaneously.

"No, we'll come with you."

"I don't think we should separate again. What if there's another aftershock?"

Evan shut his eyes in fatigue and rubbed his temples with his free hand. His head was throbbing, and the nausea was really kicking up again. And his brothers were making him _nuts!_ "I'm _not_ fighting with you two about this! Daniel, you're hurting all over, we don't know how well you're going to be able to move for a while, and you got bad ribs. How are ya gonna make it up that wall? And Ford, you got a busted ankle. Neither of you need to be moving around too much, and this is the best way to deal with that. You two stay here, stay together! I'll just be a few minutes."

A chorus of protests echoed as he passed Daniel back to Ford. The shift alone woke up his brother's aches and pains again, and Daniel groaned, trying to regain control. Ford turned back to him, so younger brother shut up, too. Evan stared at them for a long second before squeezing Ford's shoulder, silently asking him to take care of Daniel who seemed more vulnerable. Their big brother was tough as a burlap sack, and he didn't usually make a fuss. His legs must be hurting something awful. Ford nodded, and, despite everything, Evan had a hard time turning away to begin the slow crawl back to the rope. Yeah, the two of them had been driving him bananas all week, but he sure couldn't get along without 'em.

Once he got back to the rope, Evan wiped an arm across his forehead. Despite the cooler temperature underground, he was sweating. Must be the nausea. Now that he was away from his brothers, he gave in to the inevitable. It was mostly dry heaves. He swiped his mouth to clean up and shoved some dirt over the evidence. He closed his eyes again to ease the pounding head and blew out a breath with another roll of his neck and shoulders. His back was still tight and hollering at him, but he had work to do. He needed to get up the rope and pull his brothers out of this hole. Somehow.

"Evan? Ya okay?" Ford's voice sounded worried again.

"Yeah. I'll call when I'm ready to drop the rope to make sure I'm in the right place. It's hard to see you guys from up there."

"Be careful."

Just as he started his climb, he heard three shots ring out somewhere close. He let himself back down and kept an ear out.

"Daniel! Evan! Ford!"

Thank God! A sigh of relief escaped at Adam's call. He was within shouting distance anyway. "_Adam!_" Yelling that loud made his head pound worse.

He heard a piercing whistle then, "Brian! Crane! Over here! Evan, sing out!" Daniel and Ford hollered, too. Their brothers responded from farther away.

They needed direction. "Look for a ravine near a new fallen oak!"

A minute or two passed then he heard hoof beats. "Evan!"

"Down here! There's a rope tied to a big maple!"

A few seconds and then Adam's head popped over the edge of the ravine above him. "Evan? Ya all right?" He sounded plenty worried.

Evan hazarded a grin, never so happy to see his oldest brother. Everything would be okay now 'cause that's what Adam always made happen. "Yeah. Awfully glad to see you."

"Where're the guys? I hear 'em, but—"

He pointed, "Over there, 'bout twenty feet. I was about to climb up and drop a harness down to 'em. Daniel's probably busted some ribs, and... well, his legs are hurting pretty bad. And Ford might have a broken ankle, so they're gonna need help getting out."

Adam looked in the direction Evan indicated, but he couldn't possibly see them from where he was. "Sounds like a plan. You stay with 'em; we'll handle this end."

"If you guys can do the heavy lifting, I'll make sure they get up okay."

Adam nodded. "We'll get something rigged up here."

Evan began the journey back to his brothers as Adam headed over to see them himself. After the Howling Man and now this, Evan couldn't begin to understand Daniel's love of spelunking. If Evan was never underground again, it'd be fine with him. He'd gone with his brother plenty of times before, but this was two disasters in a row. As far as Evan was concerned, his time below the surface was done.

In a few minutes, he slid down the last debris pile separating him from Daniel and Ford. They'd been talking to their brothers while Evan made his way over, and now they were grinning from ear to ear.

At least Daniel's pain was some better. He grinned triumphantly, "I knew we shouldn't separate."

Evan was tired and uncomfortable, and he didn't feel like teasing. Or arguing. "I guess you were right." Daniel and Ford blinked, but Evan barely noticed. "Adam?"

Crane's head poked over the edge. He and Brian had checked on them when they arrived. "We're just about ready. You guys doing all right?"

"Yeah."

Shortly, Adam reappeared and dropped the rope with the rappelling harness attached. "We got a pulley rigged to the tree trunk. One of you get in, and we'll haul ya up."

Daniel and Ford both started at once.

"You first, Ford."

"I'm not going up before you do!"

"I'm not starting this again! I'm the oldest, you're my responsibility, and you're going first!"

"I don't see how you're any more responsible for me than I am for you! You were half buried..."

Head aching, Evan sighed and glanced up at Adam who was watching in confusion. Fine. Evan's whistle reverberated in the enclosed space. Daniel and Ford looked at him, bewildered. "Daniel, you first!"

Daniel was shocked silent for a couple seconds; then he turned his anger Evan's way. "Evan! I'm—"

"You. First!" He was in no mood to deal with another argument now. Not after the day they'd had already.

Daniel was about to explode, but Adam interrupted, "Daniel, just do it. Your brothers voted two to one. And I don't want to spend any more time debating."

Angry, Daniel shook his head, but he finally shut up. Evan had the harness ready but saw immediately that Daniel's legs weren't behaving as expected and his ribs were giving him trouble. The discomfort—and determination—was evident on Daniel's face as he tried to stand. Even tired and frustrated, Evan loved that grit; nothing would ever keep his family down for long. Evan pulled Daniel's arm across his shoulders as Ford carefully stood on one foot. Together, they got Daniel up. Evan kept them upright as Ford fastened the harness. Daniel held on to them both, just trying to stay on his feet.

Ford waved to Adam. "He's ready. Pull him up."

A short time later, Adam helped Daniel over the edge as Evan and Ford watched from below. They listened to the reunion above, then Ford quietly asked, "You okay?"

Evan did a double take at Ford's intense gaze. "Yeah, why?"

"I don't know. You're a little...uptight."

"We've had two earthquakes, a tree fell on me, you're both hurt, we've been in this hole for I don't know how long...and you two have been arguing _all day."_

Ford looked away, murmuring, "Not _all_ day."

"Can't prove it by me," Evan muttered under his breath as he reached for the harness coming back down. He secured it around Ford's hips as his brother steadied himself holding Evan's shoulders. Evan glanced back to see Ford staring again. "What?"

A small shrug. "Sorry we've been such a pain. Don't know what we'd have done without ya; I couldn't have gotten him out by myself."

Evan returned a small smile. "Guess I'll get over it. What could I do? Fill the huge hole in the ground and claim you two went to rob banks in Bolivia?" Ford's grin was easy, and Evan was glad they'd managed to get rid of his anxiety.

Evan looked back at Adam, "Haul away." He watched as Ford rose, turning so his injured ankle was away from the wall of the ravine. With all this activity, it had to be throbbing like crazy. When Adam pulled Ford over the edge, Evan dropped his head and breathed a quick prayer of gratitude. Then his head started pounding again, and he steadied himself against the wall.

When he looked back up, Adam had relief in his smile. "You coming on your own, or do we have to pull your lazy butt up, too?"

Evan sighed silently. His back was already shot; no reason for Brian and Crane to be in the same boat. "I'll do it."

As he waited for the rope to come back down, he heard voices raised, but he couldn't make out what they were saying. Surely, Daniel and Ford weren't at it again! Finally, Adam came back to the edge, "Daniel and Ford are insisting we pull you up, too. They're threatening to come back down if you don't put the harness on yourself."

Evan breathed a small laugh. "They're not arguing with each other, but they're arguing with you?"

Adam's grin was on the wry side. "Yeah. Looks like."

Evan shook his head, "Well, I guess that's progress. In the interests of world peace, pull me up." He fed the ax through a belt loop, grabbed the canteen, and hooked the harness around his hips as Adam waited for his signal to go.


	4. Chapter 4

Ford watched as Brian and Crane pulled the rope bringing Evan back to the surface. He and Daniel sat about twenty feet back from the ravine, waiting to be reunited. Ford knew he couldn't relax till they were _all_ back on solid ground.

Beside him, full light showed Daniel pale beneath the layers of dirt, and he wore a pinched look. Every now and then, he held his breath and narrowed his eyes, but Ford was the only one close enough to see. Daniel was gonna be okay. _Thank God_. Ford had been terrified that Daniel would be…paralyzed. The whole time they were in that hole, the fear sat low in his gut, never completely out of his thoughts. And all along, Ford had been thinking through the steps of caring for a spinal cord injury, wondering what they could use to immobilize Daniel's back when they got him free. So when Daniel pulled himself from the pile, Ford was terrified that the damage had worsened. Then Daniel started moaning and groaning, and Ford realized everything would be okay. He probably shouldn't have yelled, but he was so worked up at that point, he hadn't been able to stop himself. And now, after everything, he hated that his brother was hurting but was thrilled just the same since it meant his spinal cord and nerves were undamaged. Weird to be glad about pain.

Now, they just had to get Evan up, and everything could start getting back to normal. Beside him, Daniel's eyes were pinned to Adam and the rope. Older brother wanted Evan out of that hole, too.

Adam called to Brian and Crane and reached to pull Evan up the last few feet. In seconds, he was back on solid ground, and Adam literally wrapped him up before he could even get vertical. When Adam broke the hug, he tousled Evan's hair and then planted a big kiss on his forehead just as he had Ford and probably Daniel, too.

Brian and Crane hurried over to do their own inspection. They pulled Evan to his feet and into bear hugs. After a minute or so, everybody came over to where Ford and Daniel were waiting. Adam, Brian, and Crane crouched as Evan sat beside Daniel.

Adam glanced around and started to speak, but nothing came out. His lips twitched. "I don't know what to say."

They all laughed in relief; felt good after the stress of the day. Brian brushed Ford's hair back, "You guys okay?"

Ford glanced at Daniel and Evan. Adam was right; what to say? "Kinda banged up."

Daniel and Evan both managed a smile, but neither seemed ready to continue the explanation. Daniel looked around. "Where's Hannah and Guthrie?"

Adam answered, "They went to check the house. We met back at camp pretty quick after the first quake and divided up when you guys didn't come in. One of us'll head back shortly and let 'em know we found you."

Crane tried again. "What happened? How'd ya end up down there?"

A slight wince from Daniel, "Well, when a hole opens up under you, you tend to fall in."

Their older brothers seemed to be waiting on the punch line, so Ford nodded in agreement. "That's what happened. Daniel and I fell during the first quake when that ravine opened up right under us. Like in "Superman" when Lois's car fell in that crack. Daniel said he thought it was probably an old mine or cave that collapsed."

Evan took up the explanation. "I was working on a plan to get 'em out when the aftershock hit."

Ford looked at the huge tree lying on the ground. "Is that the tree that fell on ya?"

Adam, Brian, and Crane did double takes when Evan nodded.

Adam asked the question before the other two got it out. "That tree _fell_ on you?"

Evan eyed it sourly, "Yeah."

They stared at him for a second then back at the tree. It _was_ humongous!

Brian let out a low whistle. "You're lucky ya aren't dead."

"Yeah. But most of it missed me. A branch had me pinned for a while, but I got out. Then I fired the rifle and went back to help the guys."

Brian nodded, "Yeah, I heard the shots. That narrowed our search."

Evan sent a look of triumph at Daniel who just shook his head with a half grin.

Ford continued the tale. "So Evan climbed down to get us out. My ankle was hurt in the fall, and Daniel was half buried." He looked at Daniel significantly. Evan added his pointed stare.

Daniel rolled his eyes, clearly reluctant. "I couldn't feel my legs."

The looks were distinct: Adam waited for more information, Brian lifted one brow, and Crane was concerned confusion that rapidly turned to worry as he figured it out. "Nothing? A spinal cord injury?! We shouldn't have moved ya, Daniel! Ford, you know better than that! Geez, Evan! How could you—"

Ford reached to stop the tongue lashing. It wasn't his and Evan's fault, after all. "Crane, let me explain!"

All three older brothers turned, panic on their faces. Ford glanced at Daniel...another I-told-you-so look. Which he completely deserved. "Daniel was buried from the waist down in debris. A lot of it. I couldn't dig him out on my own—the rocks were too heavy. So when Evan got down there with the ax, we finally started making some real progress. We got to the last bit, and Daniel pulled _himself_ out. We didn't move him—_he_ did."

Daniel had the decency to look ashamed. He shrugged slightly, "I just wasn't thinking straight. I'd been stuck for so long, I couldn't help it. I tried to get free, and…suddenly, I was."

"Which is why he's not moving so good. It was the pressure of all that debris that made him numb, and when he got out, the blood went flying back to his legs. It's why he's been such a cry-baby ever since." Ford remembered his own bout of tears and Daniel's comforting reassurance. He grinned shyly at the brother he'd been arguing with '_all day'_ according to Evan. Daniel returned the conspiratorial smile and squeezed Ford's knee at the tease.

But back to their worried brothers; they didn't see anything funny about this. Adam turned away and took some _really_ deep breaths. At least he wasn't yelling. Brian just shut his eyes and washed his face with his hand. Crane pinched the bridge of his nose and looked at Daniel. "That was really stupid, kiddo."

"I know. Just wasn't thinking straight." After a second, Daniel spoke up again. "Ford's ankle needs to be looked at. We don't know if it's sprained or broken." He glanced back at Ford. "I think we left your boot down there."

The three oldest glanced at him, and Ford just shrugged in response. Guilty as charged. And if that's the worst thing that happened today, he'd count himself lucky.

Adam stood up. "Come on, let's get these two over to the horses. I don't want to be so close to the edge in case we get another aftershock." Brian helped Ford as Crane and Adam crouched beside Daniel. Everyone stopped at a sudden hiss from Evan. He stiffened as he started to get up, tension on his face.

Adam shifted over, "What's wrong?"

A soft grunt and clenched teeth. "Pulled something."

"Slow and easy, huh?" Adam rubbed Evan's back, causing him to flinch. Adam jerked his hand away. "What is it?"

Evan shook his head tightly. "Must be where the tree landed."

Adam ran his hand down Evan's arm instead. "Okay. You wait here. We'll help Daniel and Ford and then come back, all right?"

"Mm-hmm."

With Daniel between them, Adam and Crane headed over toward the horses. Brian helped Ford limp across the hundred or so yards. Once Daniel and Ford were settled, Adam and Brian turned to go back, but Evan was coming up behind them, slow and stiff.

"Evan." Brian's voice was quietly accusing.

"Think I just sat too long. My back's been bothering me off and on since the tree, but I kept moving. When I sat still, it stiffened up. Figured if I took it slow, I'd be fine."

Brian shook his head but left him alone to sit with Ford and Daniel. Ford could now see how uncomfortable Evan was too. And he'd probably been that way since he climbed into the ravine. But with bad light and too many other problems, Ford hadn't paid enough attention. He'd wondered if something might be wrong, but...

Adam looked at Crane and Brian. "One of us should go back to camp and gets enough supplies to spend the night here. I don't think these three are ready to get on a horse right now."

Brian pushed his hat back. "Who's going to the house? Hannah and Guthrie might've run into a mess there, and they need to know we found 'em."

Ford watched as the three looked at each other briefly. A decision was reached without any apparent discussion.

Brian nodded, "I'll let 'em know what happened, and if everything's okay at home, I'll be back in the morning."

Crane glanced around. "I'll head back to camp as soon as we get these guys taken care of."

Adam agreed, "Let's get to it." Brian went to gather wood as Adam worked on the fire pit. Crane grabbed the first aid kit out of his saddlebags.

Crane raised a brow, "All right, Ford. You're first. You just better hope that ankle's only sprained."

Ford frowned down at the foot, "Yeah." Daniel leaned close as Crane peeled off the filthy sock. The ankle was swollen, red, and warm to the touch. And throbbing to beat the band. Ford looked at it sourly and turned away as Crane inspected it. And of course, it just about sent Ford into orbit when Crane started probing the injury. Daniel squeezed his hand, and Ford bit his lip to keep from screaming.

Crane looked at him regretfully, "Sorry, pal. I know it hurts, but the swelling's so bad, I can't feel the bones. I can't tell if it's broken or not."

Ford took some deep breaths to help the pain ease off. "So now what? Bind it?"

Crane nodded minutely, "'Fraid so. That'll help with the swelling so maybe we can check it later. It'll hurt at first, but that'll improve when the swelling goes down some."

Ford stared at the foot in disgust. Stupid ankle. Daniel rubbed his back, and Ford managed a grin in gratitude.

Crane handed Ford some aspirin. "Take these. It'll help a little with the pain before we bind it up."

"And maybe the swelling, too."

Crane nodded approvingly. He was proud that Ford was studying to become a volunteer paramedic when he turned eighteen. Although Ford's freeze in the ravine didn't inspire a lot of self-confidence in reaching that goal…

Brian came back with the firewood. "Well, how's brother number six?"

Adam had been observing as he worked on the fire pit. He offered a half shrug. "Too soon to tell with the swelling."

In a couple of minutes, they had a good fire going, and Brian pulled his hat square after mounting his horse. "Anything else to pass on to Hannah and Shortstuff?"

Adam shook his head briefly, "Just that we'll get the Lost Boys home sometime tomorrow."

Ford breathed a small laugh as Evan grinned. Daniel rolled his eyes.

Brian looked at the three of them significantly. "You will try to avoid holes, right? And trees?"

Daniel narrowed his eyes in a look that might have meant retribution if he hadn't been stuck sitting on the ground. "Why don't you ride on into the sunset, cowboy?"

"Happy trails, buckaroos!" Brian laughed and tipped his hat as Salty moved to a canter.

Crane and Adam were getting ready to check Daniel when Evan began slowly climbing to his feet. Adam started to stop him, "Where do ya think you're going, bronco?"

Evan rolled his shoulders, and Ford remembered seeing that several times—both in the hole and out. "I need to move around. Sitting here just lets me get stiff again."

Adam glanced at Crane who seemed unsure, "Well, don't go far, huh?"

Evan pulled his Stetson down and angled off toward the horses. It was easy to see he was holding himself carefully as he walked.

After a minute, they went back to checking Daniel. Crane gave him some aspirin too, took a head to toe glance, and suggested he ditch his jeans. Daniel, unsurprisingly, wasn't overly enthusiastic about that idea, but Adam nodded in agreement. Daniel looked mutinous, and Ford thought his stubbornness was pretty funny given what had already happened. Ford was ready to sit back and enjoy the inevitable argument when Evan came back with Adam's saddle and saddle blanket. They all looked at him and then at the items he carried.

Crane smiled and reached for them, "I'm an idiot. Thanks, Ev."

Evan cracked a grin and turned to walk back to the horses. "And _I'm_ the lamebrain?"

Ford decided he did seem to be moving better...easier than just a few minutes ago anyway. Ford turned back and watched as Crane gently lifted his ankle before shoving the saddle under it. Ford let out a dissatisfied sigh. "I shoulda thought of that."

Crane's expression was wry. "Me, too. I think _somebody's _whining might've distracted me."

Ford couldn't help the smile, but when he glanced back at Daniel, his brother was unamused. Ford quickly bit down on his laugh. After all, Daniel'd had a rough day.

Crane then shook out the saddle blanket and held it up for inspection. "Now you won't get chilled. After we get your jeans off."

"Yeah, like that's what I was really worried about!"

Adam grinned while Crane's smile was placid. Patient. "Anytime, Daniel."

Daniel just shook his head minutely and blew out a breath of frustration. Ford watched while Daniel came to the inescapable conclusion; there was no beating both Adam and Crane so he might as well get on with it. If those two decided he was losing his pants, then he was losing his pants.

The sound of slow hoof beats pulled at Ford's attention, and he turned to find Evan on Diablo.

Adam's voice held a tinge of angry impatience. "What do ya think you're doing?"

"I'm gonna see if I can track down Buck and Kitt. They high tailed it in the first quake, and I'm gonna try and find 'em."

"What about your back? And what if we have another aftershock?"

Evan rolled his shoulders a bit and flexed back and forth. "Brian went home, and Crane's going back to camp. They'll be alone if there's another aftershock. And my back feels better if I keep moving. If I stop now, I'm gonna be down for a while. We've still got a couple hours of light; maybe I can find the horses before it gets dark. Otherwise, we'll just have to do it tomorrow. Or ride double and come back later."

What Evan said made sense…but Ford didn't want him to go. Since waking up in the ravine, Ford had been scared. That Daniel would be paralyzed. That something Ford did or didn't do would result in his brother's permanent disability. He'd been scared that Evan was buried and he'd never find him. That Ford wasn't strong enough or smart enough to prevent another family tragedy. That fear didn't start to ease till Evan climbed down to help. The relief had washed over Ford like a wave. Evan wasn't hurt and took overall responsibility for Daniel's safety. Evan actually had a chance of exerting some control over Daniel while Ford felt like a kid next to their older brother. Evan's presence had reassured Ford. And even now, he couldn't help the need to be together. But he kept his trap shut; no reason to humiliate himself even more.

Ford watched Adam. Backs could be tricky—look at Daniel's problems today. But Evan had worked hard down in the ravine, and he didn't seem any different now than then. So Ford focused on Adam and waited on his decision.

Their oldest brother had another silent conversation with Crane who shrugged slightly. Adam looked back at Evan and blew out a dissatisfied breath. "You watch yourself and don't overdo it. And be back before dark!"

Evan broke into a tired but easy grin as he tipped his hat and chucked Diablo forward.

Daniel's glare was baleful. "Way to be so tough on him, _Dad._"

Adam's face was surprisingly serene despite the hated nickname. "Keep it up, motor head, and you'll see how tough I can be."

That made Daniel shut up, but it was definitely an unhappy, resentful silence. Ford couldn't help a smile that Adam had won that argument.

Adam and Crane helped Daniel with his jeans. It was clear that while Daniel had some control of his muscles, his legs still hurt and weren't performing as normal. He lay down, propping his head in Ford's lap.

Crane laid the blanket across Daniel's bare legs. He and Adam did a careful exam starting at the hips. Working their way down one leg at a time, they made sure that Daniel could feel sharp and dull stimuli and was able to move—eventually—all the muscle groups. Crane checked reflexes, and everything seemed to be working okay. Right now, movement was a little delayed, and Daniel was still having a lot of discomfort; otherwise, everything seemed all right beyond a lot of ugly bruises. So they decided to give Daniel and Ford the night to rest and recuperate and planned to head home tomorrow. Ford figured he probably had a few bruises of his own that they'd just not found yet.

Crane tightened the cinch on his saddle and mounted for the trip back to camp. He led Adam's unsaddled horse along to tote everything and rode off with a wave.

Adam glanced at Ford and Daniel then briefly off in the direction Evan had gone. Ford followed his gaze, searching the horizon. They all wanted Evan back here.


	5. Chapter 5

Daniel looked at Ford and then Adam and Crane on the other side of the fire. Crane had returned with food, coffee, bed rolls, and the spare change of clothes Daniel, Evan, and Ford had brought with them. Which they rarely used on these trips but kept on hand for that just-in-case situation…and this was the best just-in-case Daniel had ever had. The clothes from this morning were gonna go in the garbage. Even Hannah's far reaching talents wouldn't make them wearable again.

Crane and Adam had made quick work of getting Daniel and Ford as comfortable as possible. They were clean and pretty comfortable. Coffee and a meal had been organized, and Adam had finally wrapped Ford's ankle. Ford had tolerated the procedure as well as could be expected, but Daniel still hated that he had to go through it. That ankle was hurting him something fierce.

In the meantime, Crane and Adam were trying to hide their worry. But the rest of the afternoon had passed, and Evan had not returned. It was easy to see they were concerned. Daniel was, too, and Ford was watching his brothers and the countryside like a hawk. Evan had probably been gone a couple of hours anyway, and with his back bothering him, well, Daniel knew he'd feel a whole lot better when Little Brother got back.

Sitting there waiting, vaguely listening to an unimportant discussion his brothers were using to distract themselves, Daniel finally had time to think about everything that had happened today. Relieved didn't begin to cover how he felt about his legs. Pain was a small price to pay for regaining sensation and movement. Ford had jumped Daniel's case for pulling himself out of the debris…and rightly so. Daniel remembered all the first aid he'd learned about back injuries—after the fact. He should've waited, but the urge to get free had been overwhelming. And then the pain started. His legs ached and throbbed and tingled and didn't do what he wanted. But he could move and feel them again, and he could be patient as they got back to normal. And his ribs hurt every time he breathed. Or moved. Or thought about moving. But still way better than he had any right to expect.

He'd just felt so…out of control all day. All week really. He'd been arguing with Ford for what seemed like forever and controlling his own reactions to his brother had been a disaster. And today, Adam had sent them out on circle together even though they wanted to be as far from each other as possible. Then the earthquakes and the ravine and being trapped and terrified of being paralyzed. When Crane suggested Daniel take off his jeans, it felt like the straw that broke the camel's back. Daniel acted like a kid, but only now did he see why. It was just something else he couldn't control.

The issues with Ford, well, they weren't completely resolved. And most of that was because Ford was still growing up. In some ways, he was already an adult. Give him a problem to solve, and he approached it in a way that reminded Daniel of Crane and Adam—sometimes so much like 'em it was scary. But dealing with personal issues showed Ford was still a kid in other aspects. He tended to be shy and quiet and lacked self-confidence—except when he was arguing with Daniel. Made for a hard time. And needing very little assistance in some areas and so much reassurance in others could present a challenge to an older brother trying to help.

And of course, the problem was made worse when that older brother was clueless most of the time anyway. Daniel couldn't figure out when to push, when to pull, and when to leave it alone with Ford. Clearly, he'd been guessing wrong most of the week. All the mistakes made Daniel made more likely to react with anger. Then, of course, Ford answered the same way which just made everything worse. It was one of those vicious cycles Daniel had read about. Just went round and round, and they couldn't get out of it. Out of control again.

It was only when Daniel was calm and not in the middle of an argument that he could figure this stuff out. Beat him all to heck how Adam, Brian, and Crane just seemed to know when to push and when to back off. They must've gone to big brother training school or something; Daniel had surely missed that class 'cause almost every normal conversation with Ford had gone bad lately. But then again, being stuck in the ravine had led to a couple of good moments, so maybe he hadn't failed the big brother test completely.

And then there was Evan. Daniel's big brother relationship with Evan was different than with Ford and Guthrie. They were close in age and had grown up doing almost everything together. Evan usually did what Daniel told him, but as he'd learned today, that was because Evan agreed with Daniel most of the time. Evidently, it was easier for Evan to just do what he was told—everybody's happy—rather than argue about who gave the order…a concept Ford apparently didn't agree with. Despite a quick temper, Evan was pretty easy going and had a personality that lightened everybody around him.

But he'd not gone for help today despite Daniel's...strong suggestion. And he'd flat rejected Daniel's idea about staying together when they were in the ravine. The only reason Evan hadn't proceeded with his own idea was because their brothers had shown up. And that sunny disposition sure wasn't in evidence this afternoon. That's probably what bothered Daniel the most—that Evan just didn't seem to be himself. Of course, his back was hurting after being stuck under the tree…which still just blew Daniel's mind. A tree fell on him! How does that happen to anyone except Evan? So maybe that was the problem...Evan had been worried about Daniel and Ford, tired of listening to them fight, and his back was bothering him. And Daniel acting like an idiot most of the day probably didn't help his brother's mood. And now, Evan was MIA after going to look for their horses. Adam and Crane were trying to hide their worry, but Daniel wasn't fooled and knew Ford wasn't either.

"How's your legs, Daniel?"

He shot Ford a grin. Ford knew exactly what was going on, and he was giving their older brothers something else to concentrate on. Smart, grown-up kid. Geez, Daniel loved him—no matter how much Ford frustrated him. "Better. Not aching so much."

"You know how lucky you were today? Both of you?" Adam spoke around the rim of his coffee cup.

Daniel was well aware of their luck. "Yeah."

Ford shook his head. "You weren't down there, Adam. You couldn't see how much debris there really was. We could've easily been buried." He glanced apologetically at Daniel. "Well, _more_ buried."

Daniel bounced his brows in agreement. "And as big as the rocks on me were, if one had hit my head or chest, there's no way I'd still be breathing."

Crane looked unsettled. "Total fluke all the way around. You guys were standing right on top of that tunnel just when the quake hit? What are the chances?"

Adam added his two bits. "And despite everything, you ended up with only minor injuries."

Daniel started to answer, but he heard Crane's horse, Gypsy, and looked to see what caught her attention. She was a very social animal, and she'd likely call out to her stable mates. Sure enough, Evan was approaching on Diablo, Buck and Kitt trailing along behind him.

Instantly on his feet, Adam's angry voice rang across the clearing. "Damnit, Evan, where've you been?!" He twisted worry into mad sometimes.

"Took me a while to find their trails." Tired.

Crane was also up. "Trails…with an 'S'?"

"Yeah. They took off in two different directions. After I found Kitt, I had to look for Buck."

Daniel took his brother's measure. He looked exhausted, and Daniel shared a glance of concern with Ford.

Crane's voice was more gentle than Adam's. "Hungry?"

Evan kept Diablo headed toward the other horses. "Nah."

Adam and Crane shared a look then followed him. Daniel was glad Evan was back, but he was still worried. Evan hadn't eaten since breakfast; he oughta be starving.

Evan dismounted—a bit stiff but not too bad—and loosened Diablo's cinch. Crane walked up and placed a hand on his shoulder—_lightly_. "Come on. You're worn out, and you've been going all day. Take a load off and get something to eat. And we need to check your back."

Something flashed across Evan's face. "I'm fine. I'll finish this and be over in a minute."

Adam took over. "_I'll_ finish this. You get something to eat."

Evan seemed reluctant, but he allowed Crane to head him back to the fire. He steered Evan to sit beside Daniel. "I'll get you some chili."

Evan winced slightly. "I'm really not hungry. How 'bout just some coffee or something?"

Daniel decided to just sit tight. Crane was way better at the older brother stuff anyway.

Crane handed Evan a cup and watched as he took a sip. Then Crane went to help Adam finish the horses. Daniel silently watched him leave, figuring those horses would be done in record time. And while they worked, Crane and Adam would probably discuss the situation.

"Where'd you find Kitt?" Ford distracted Evan.

"The thicket on the other side of that big stand of pine six, seven miles northeast of here."

"That far? She must've been pretty spooked."

"Yeah. And Buck was in Zach's Meadow."

Daniel pictured both places in his head. Evan had done a lot of riding. "Thanks, Little Brother."

Evan summoned a grin. "You guys feeling better?"

Daniel nodded, "Yeah. We both are. You?"

"Tired. Ready to hit the sack. Think maybe they'll just let me go to sleep?"

Stupid question. Evan must be more tired than he realized 'cause there was no way on earth that was gonna happen. Daniel thought of his own idiotic attempt to keep his pants on and shared a glance with Ford who looked dubious. They both turned back to Evan. "Not a chance."

"Huh-uh. No way."

Evan rolled his eyes and went back to his coffee.

Sure enough, in a few minutes, Adam and Crane returned to the campfire just as dusk was starting to settle. Adam raised a questioning brow. "You ready for us?"

Evan rolled his shoulders and tried to act like it didn't bother him. "Adam, it's fine. Just—"

Adam shook his head as Crane plucked the empty mug from Evan's fingers. "Forget it. Take your shirt off and lay down. A tree fell on you, your back's hurting, and we're gonna check ya out."

Evan was sitting close to his bedding, so he didn't have far to go. Even so, it was easy to see how tight he was after sitting still for just ten or fifteen minutes.

Crane picked up the pail of water warming by the fire and reached for the first aid kit as Adam went to get the towels he'd washed out after Daniel and Ford cleaned up.

Evan reluctantly pulled his denim jacket off and tossed it toward the foot of his bed. He was wearing an old Bret Harte Union sweatshirt that had seen better days a few brothers back, but he didn't try to pull it off. Adam glanced at him pointedly when he came back, and Evan blew out a deep breath before grabbing the bottom of the shirt. He got it about halfway up and stopped.

Adam was watching. "What?"

Evan sighed, "I can't."

Adam eyed him with more concern. "Can't what?"

"Get it off."

A quick glance between the older brothers, and they moved toward him. Crane put a hand on his shoulder. "We'll get it."

In short order, Adam and Crane had his arms out of the sleeves and slid the shirt over his head. Evan tried a stretch, but even that seemed to bother him, and he lay down as instructed.

A gentle scold as Crane looked at his back. "Evan."

Adam's face showed compassion as he placed a hand carefully on top of Evan's head. "You sure did a number on yourself, cowboy."

Daniel wondered if he looked as alarmed as Ford did. Evan lay completely boneless. Daniel had to see for himself. Evan had worked his tail off to get them out of that hole. Daniel waved for Ford to stay put and willed his legs to work. Standing up was managed in stages, ribs protesting every inch.

Crane's glance was immediate. "Where ya going?"

"To take a leak. And look at his back."

Crane managed a crooked smile and came to help. Daniel shuffled over to Evan's side. Even in the dim light, it was easy to see the heavy bruising. It disappeared south under his jeans and liberally dotted the exposed flesh of his back, shoulders, and arms. No surprise he couldn't get the sweatshirt off. It was a wonder he could move at all. One large, ugly bruise continued from under his jeans on the left, up, and across to his right shoulder. Adam gently traced the outlines with one finger. "What was this?"

Evan was half asleep, and it took him a second or two to answer. "Uhh, that must've been the big limb that had me pinned. It was heavy."

Continuing the exam, Adam blinked and double checked Evan's hair line. "What…? Is this blood?"

Evan flinched slightly. "Probably." That explained the no appetite. And left Daniel wondering if Evan's paleness was due to a sick stomach and puking.

Crane's voice was a little less patient. "Evan! You know you shouldn't be on a horse with a head injury."

Evan still didn't open his eyes. "Yeah, I probably shouldn't have been climbing into holes and digging Daniel out of a pile of rocks either, but I thought I should give it a try."

Daniel breathed a laugh at the stubbornness of his brothers. Crane tried to hold back, but he couldn't keep a smile from breaking out. Adam ran a hand over the top of Evan's head as his lips twitched.

"And since I survived that—and Daniel did, too—I figured I could manage Diablo."

Ford's grin was a mile wide. He shrugged, "Can't argue with his logic. His brain seems to be working just fine anyway. Or as good as it ever does."

Daniel patted Crane's hands where they held him securely. "I can make it. You deal with Jug-Head."

Crane's gaze was questioning, but whatever he saw when he looked at Daniel was apparently reassuring since he let Daniel move over to the tree line to do his business. It took longer to get there and back than the actual event, and he caught frequent glances from Adam, Crane, and Ford as he returned. Evan didn't seem to have moved and might well have gone to sleep as Adam and Crane cleaned his back. There weren't any other areas of broken skin, just the large, deep bruises. Little Brother was going to be pretty uncomfortable for a few days anyway.

"Too bad we don't have something warm like a heating pad."

Daniel looked at Ford in disbelief. "What?"

"Well, ice packs would be better for the swelling—like with my ankle—but it's chilly out here, and ice might make him sick. Heat would ease the muscles and relax him."

What in blue blazes was Ford thinking? "We don't have ice anyway, and how would we use a heating pad even if we had one?"

"I _know_ that! I'm just saying what we could do if we had something _like_ it!"

"But we don't! It's impossible! So why bring it up?"

"_To see if anybody else has an idea that might help!_"

Adam and Crane tried to interrupt, but it was the soft voice from the bedroll that finally got Daniel's attention, and Ford shut up as well.

"Daniel. Ford. Can you _please _do this tomorrow? Just let me sleep tonight without any arguments? If you guys don't shut up, I'm going over to bed down with the horses."

Daniel bit his lip. Evan would do it without a second thought. Ford wore an embarrassed grin and couldn't stop a snicker from escaping.

Daniel turned to Evan. "Sure, Little Brother. We'll give ya the night off and pick it back up tomorrow." Serious in voice if not intention.

Adam and Crane rolled their eyes and shook their heads as they tried to keep from laughing. Evan lifted his head enough to eye Daniel and Ford sourly. "Thanks. Thanks a lot. Can I go to sleep now? Please?"

Daniel shared an amused glance with Ford who shrugged. "He acts like we've been doing this all day or something."

_Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:12_ NIV 1984

**SB4SB**

Setting inspired by Bonanza story "Trapped" by Rona available at Adam and Little Joe in a cave-in. Broken foot, brother trapped. I used those basic elements and changed them up, adding and taking away to make my own story. But her story is the inspiration, and credit is due. No plagiarism intended. I did notify Miss Rona and request that she read my story prior to posting. She did just that and graciously informed me that she has no problems with the post. If she had not given permission, I would not have shared the story. Many thanks for her kindness and generosity.

I should also mention that a story with the same _title_ can be found on the Big Valley Writing Desk, authored by my good friend and occasional beta, DocDeb. She posted her fabulous story more than a year ago, but I didn't realize the title was taken from Ecclesiastes till I read the verse again myself just a short time ago. And it seemed so appropriate…and much better than my other possible title(s). Debbie's story has absolutely nothing in common with this one, but I highly recommend it and anything else she's written if anyone enjoys "The Big Valley".


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